Children developing self-regulation skills in a Kids’ Skills intervention programme in Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care

Figures & data

Table 1. Kids’ Skills programme.

Definition	Step
Skill training	1. the problems are translated into skills
	2. agreeing on skills
Motivation	3. the benefits of the skills are mapped
	4. the skill is named
	5. the child chooses a strength creature
	6. are invited for supporters
	7. creating a child's faith in success
	8. planned for celebration
	9. skill is displayed
	10. the skill will be announced
Practice skills	11. skills are practised
	12. how to remember the skill
	13. celebrate learning
Strengthening of skill learning	14. a child teaches the skill another child
	15. agree on the following skill

Table 2. Procedure timeline

Year	2017					2018
Month	August	September	October	November	December	…	April
What	HTKS1			HTKS2			CBRS3
	CBRS1				CBRS2
	Kids’ Skills education for intervention group	INTERVENTION 10 weeks
		OBSERVATION 28 days Intervention and control groups					AES

Notes: HTKS: Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders test (Cameron Ponitz et al., 2008), CBRS: children behavior rating scale (Bronson et al., 1995); AES: adult engagement scale (Laevers, 1994).

Table 3. Descriptive statistics for the HTKS and the CBRS.

HTKS & CBRS	Pre-test			Post-test			Delayed post-test
	M	SD	n	M	SD	n	M	SD	n
Intervention
HTKS	25.91	21.57	23	38.30	22.76	23
CBRS*	3.88	0.61	24	4.06	0.36	20	4.33	0.34	16
Control
HTKS	23.70	24.41	10	21.70	25.77	10
CBRS*	3.49	0.67	10	3.44	0.43	9	3.70	0.60	11

Note: HTKS range 0–60. CBRS range 1–5 (total mean of the 17 items).

Table 4. Mean, SD, and Group Differences on CBRS’s six items at the post-test and delayed post-test (n = 27).

CBRS		Intervention group M (SD)	Control group M (SD)	H	p
item 6.	Post-test	3.94 (0.68)	3.32 (0.82)	4.34	.037
	Delayed post-test	4.13 (0.72)	3.50 (0.80)	3.97	.046
item 8.	Post-test	4.13 (0.62)	3.68 (0.58)	4.08	.043
	Delayed post-test	4.44 (0.51)	3.83 (0.84)	4.31	.038
item 10.	Post-test	3.88 (0.50)	3.11 (0.88)	8.13	.004
	Delayed post-test	4.13 (0.50)	3.42 (0.79)	6.91	.009
item 11.	Post-test	4.06 (0.68)	3.58 (0.61)	4.02	.045
	Delayed post-test	4.06 (0.57)	3.50 (0.52)	5.80	.016
item 13.	Post-test	4.81 (0.40)	4.11 (0.74)	9.12	.003
	Delayed post-test	4.69 (0.48)	4.00 (0.85)	5.14	.023
item 16.	Post-test	4.13 (0.62)	3.47 (0.77)	6.61	.010
	Delayed post-test	4.25 (0.58)	3.58 (0.90)	4.58	.032

Note: The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to test between-group differences at post-test and delayed post-test in the CBRS’s items.

Table 5. Descriptive statistic of AES and results of independent samples t-test

AES Scale	Intervention, total no. of episodes = 738			Control, total no. of episodes = 255
	No. of episodes	M	SD	No. of episodes	M	SD	t	df	P
Sensitivity	379	4.90	0.30	129	3.88	1.55	12.25	506	<.000
Stimulation	231	4.92	0.28	97	3.99	1.53	8.90	326	<.000
Autonomy	119	4.97	0.16	40	3.45	1.89	8.75	157	<.000

Note: AES range 1–5.

Cameron Ponitz, C. E., McClelland, M., Jewkes, A. M., Connor, C. M., Farris, C. L., & Morrison, F. J. (2008). Touch your toes! developing a direct measure of behavioral regulation in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23, 141–158. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2007.01.004

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Bronson, M. B., Tivnan, T., & Seppanen, P. S. (1995). Relations between teacher and classroom activity variables and the classroom behaviors of prekindergarten children in chapter 1 funded programs. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 16, 253–282. doi:10.1016/0193-3973(95)90035-7

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